Crochet Tips: Foundation Treble Crochet.

Continuing the photo tutorial of foundation stitches let us now look at Treble foundation stitches.

With a slip stitch on the hook, chain 4.

Yarn over the hook, insert hook in the stitch furthest from the hook.

Yarn over and pull up a loop.

Yarn over and pull through first loop only. (Chain St made)

Yarn over and pull through first two loops only, (Once)

Yarn over and pull through last two loops, (Twice) First Treble Made.

*Yarn over and insert hook as indicated.

 Yarn over and pull up a loop. (Loop)

Yarn over and pull through first loop only. (Chain made)

Yarn over and pull through first two loops only. (Once)

Yarn over and pull through last two loops.** (Treble made)

Repeat from * to ** for each Treble required.

Ta Dah!

All those yarn overs and pull throughs can become quite hypnotic so if like me you get confused about how far you've got try chant something like "Loop, Chain, Once, Treble".

I hope you find this as freeing as I do, it helps me to get a much more even tension on my first row.

In the next post we'll look at magic rings, so that we can almost get rid of those pesky chain stitches altogether!

Rach

Crochet tips: Foundation Stitches

Crochet tips: Foundation Stitches.

How do you get on with those chains stitches at the start of everything you make? Do you never seem to have the right number, no matter how many times you count? Do you crochet them too loosely or too tightly? And do you really, really hate crocheting into those stitches?
Well you're not on your own! I first heard about foundation stitches from Tamara Kelly on Moogly. Since then I've found them to be invaluable. 

There are two ways to go about it. So have a go at both of these and go with the one you like best!

Foundation Double Crochet Version 1

   With a slip stitch on your hook,

 chain 2

Double crochet into the chain furthest from the hook.

 

* Placing the hook under the side loop of the double crochet you've just made, as shown...

 

... pull up a loop...

 

... and make your second double crochet.**
 

Repeat from* to** for each double crochet required.

 

Ta Dah!

You'll notice that this method leaves you with a single loop under each double crochet stitch just as if you had worked into a row of chain stitches.

 

Foundation Double Crochet Version 2

 With a slip stitch on your hook, chain2,
 

place the hook into the chain furthest from the hook and pull up a loop.


Yarn over and pull through the first loop only.
 
You have just made the first chain stitch.
 
Yarn over again and pull through both loops.

 You have just made the first double crochet.

 * Place the hook into the chain stitch you've just made...

 

 ...yarn over and pull up a loop... (Loop)

...yarn over and pull through first loop only... (Chain)

...yarn over and pull through both loops.** (DC)

 Repeat from* to ** for each double crochet required.

 Ta Dah!

(I like to chant LOOP, CHAIN, DOUBLE CROCHET, with each yarn over and pull through as I am a bear of very little brain and get easily confused!!)

You'll notice that this method leaves you with a pair of loops under each double crochet stitch. This gives a firm foundation to the row especially if you are going to work back into the stitches.

I will demonstrate Foundation Treble crochet in the next post.

Rach.

Crochet Tips: Placement of stitches.

Anatomy of a stitch
Even now I have to stop and think sometimes about where to put my stitches. Sometimes I have to draw a little stick man version of a stitch to work out whether the loop comes before or after the post (or stem) of the stitch. 

The problem is that if you mainly stitch in rounds and don't turn your work you will have got use to the loop being in front of the post, and if you usually work in rows the loop will be after the post. 

Front

Back

So in the next pair of images we are looking at the normal placement of stitches, as if working in the round.

Now lets look at where else we can put our stitches.

Back Loop
Instead of putting the hook under both loops, as above, we can put it under just one. Either the back or front loop. It doesn't matter which side of the work faces you, the loop furthest away is always the back loop...

Front Loop
...and the closest loop is always the front loop.

You'll have noticed the in the image (at the top of the post) labelled Back there is also a third loop that I've coloured mauve. This is also used occasionally and never seems to have a proper name, it is sometimes called the 'hump' or the 'bump'. 

Dropped Stitches 
Because of the organic way that crochet has developed over time there is a lack of a universal language. So sometimes dropped stitches are called spike stitches! But there is actually a difference. They may also be referred to as being 'inserted between stitches'. A dropped stitch is placed low in the previous row or round while a spike stitch is placed into a preceding round. ( I hope that makes sense!) I hope you can see how this stitch is placed lower than usual.

Spike Stitches
When working a spike stitch, insert the hook where the pattern tells you; yarn over the hook and pull the loop through the work; pull up to the level of a normal stitch. Then finish the stitch as normal. The stitches shown below are all double crochet, (UK); single crochet, (USA).

Post Stitches
Post stitches are also referred to as raised stitches and cable stitches. What you call things probably depends on who first introduced you to them. Crochet is the only language in which I am bi-lingual!

Post stitches are worked exactly as you would for a normal stitch, except that (assuming you are right handed) the hook is always inserted from right to left around the post, instead of under the loops; yarn over the hook and pull the hook back out to the right; finish the stitch normally.

     Front Post Stitches

Insert the hook

Draw a loop through behind the post.

Finish the stitch as normal.

      Back Post Stitches

Back post stitches are worked in exactly the same way, except that the hook is inserted around the post of the stitch from the back of the work. They can be a little fiddly and just require a little more patience!

Till Soon! Rachxx

Gauge Matters

Nick tells me that I should write my blogs for myself,and this one is certainly something I need to work on, however it is also for Nan Jan!

You know that information at the start of every pattern which so many of us ignore, Yes the bit about Gauge, well we shouldn't. Sometimes we ignore it because we're just excited to get on with the pattern. Sometimes we ignore it because no matter how hard we try we just can't match it. Sometimes we ignore it because we're worried about running out of yarn. Here are some reasons not to ignore it.

The main reason for making a gauge square is this simple. If you don't do it the item you are making will be a different size. This is especially important if the item is a garment.
The next reason is that the drape may be all wrong or the yarn may be wrong. (Which is why in my last blog I said I shouldn't go window shopping for yarn!) 
Another reason would be to find out if the gauge and drape change after blocking.
And lastly it's a good chance to practise the stitch pattern before you get going. With a new stitch that you're unfamiliar with, you might find that your tension changes as you get more practised.

How to make a gauge square.
You know Dora Ohrenstein  is the first person to tell me how to do this! Maybe it just seems obvious to everyone else! Just in case, this is what I learnt.
1. Use the recommended hook size and follow the instructions provided for the gauge pattern.
2. Crochet at least a 6" square. That's 15cms for the metric minded.
3. Measure it on a flat surface with a flat ruler, not a tape measure.
4. Make a note of the yarn, the hook size, the number of rows and the number of stitches in the size area asked for in the pattern. This is usually 10cm by 10cm. Make this note somewhere sensible where you'll be able to find it again, Rachel, it might be a good idea to date it as well!
5. Now block the swatch. This one was new to me. It would be helpful if designers told us if the gauge was pre- or post- blocking, from now on I'm going to assume it's post blocking.
6. Measure again and make a new note. If I'd done this with the last garment I'd made it would have definitely have made a difference.

I can't match the gauge.
This is my usual problem. I'm a tight crocheter. Often we are told to go up or down a hook size, but if you do this you might find that the drape is all wrong. Either it's too loose or too dense and heavy. But even if I do this it won't make my swatch match. I can usually manage to get the right amount of stitches, the width measurement, but I can't match the rows, the height measurement. The reason for this is that I am either holding the thread too tightly or pulling the loop too tightly on my hook, or maybe a combination of both. So what I need to practise is pulling up a larger loop and resisting the urge to tug it back down.
Perhaps you have the opposite problem, in which case you too need to work on your tension.  Perhaps wrapping the yarn around another finger will be the key.

Why did I measure my gauge square twice? 
It should be the post blocked square that matches the patterns gauge. But you need to know what the pre-blocked gauge was. As you crochet you need to keep a check on your tension, every now and then you should measure an area to make sure nothing has changed. Et viola! a perfect fit!

Choosing the right yarn

I'm a big believer in learning from mistakes! Fortunately I love learning and with Crochet there is so much to learn.
I've just made a leap forward in my understanding of how to approach yarn thanks to Dora Ohrenstein. If you want to make garments you should rush out now and get a copy of  Top-Down Crochet Sweaters. Don't buy it for the patterns, although they're great, buy it for the wealth of experience Dora shares.

Fibres 
We've already talked about the different qualities of different fibres; softness, stiffness, fluidity and flexibility. A garment made in cotton will be stiffer and heavier than if it were made in Alpaca. There will even be a difference between animal fibres.

Weight
Yarn weight usually refers not to the weight but the thickness of the yarn. At size 3 (usually DK weight) this is a yarn which when crocheted produces a gauge of 12 to 17sts per 4inches when using a 4.5 to 5.5mm hook. So you can see that this is a wide range of thickness. 

Weight
So now we need to consider the actual weight of the yarn. I could replace an alpaca yarn with a cotton yarn that crochets up to exactly the same gauge but it will give me a different garment in look, feel and drape. If I were to use the cotton yarn the actual weight of the garment would be much heavier. You can imagine that with wear my pullover would hang lower, be longer, and probably be tighter; because the weight is pulling it down.

Twist
As crocheters we often complain about yarns which split easily. A yarn which is tightly twisted will be very strong and stiff. It will probably give great stitch definition. It will be great to use on doilies and perhaps Amigurumi, but on a garment it may not give me the drape and flexibility I'm looking for.

Plies
If you pull apart a length of yarn you may find that it is made from bunches of yarn, or plies, which are twisted around each other. Thus we get 2-ply and 3-ply etc. If the plies are very obvious it may distract from the beautiful stitch pattern you are creating. However if the yarn is very loose it may be difficult to work with. A single-ply yarn should not be avoided however. What we are looking for is a yarn that is smooth and will show off our beautiful work.

Fluff
Fluffy yarns produce a different look again and perhaps this is what you want in your cuddly winter pullover. You won't see the detail of stitch but if what you want is a light weight (on the scales!) garment with lots of drape this will be great. I've found that very open mesh and lace stitches can take on a completely different look when using a softer yarn which is left unblocked.

What I have learnt is that I should never rush off and buy a yarn for my stash just because I like the look of it! I should always have a project in mind. I should have already considered what look I want to achieve and then I should buy just ONE ball. Really? I need to crochet up a gauge square and wash it and block it before I go any further. It does sound rather dull but unless I want to keep creating disasters, this crocheter needs to learn some discipline!!